Alaska Land & Sea Tour 2017

George Theodore, July 10, 2017

This year’s Alaska Land and Sea Tour was outstanding; mostly perfect weather, just enough sun but not too much so as to give us too much contrast. Starting in Anchorage, we made our way down the Kenai (pronounced keen’-eye) Peninsula to Seward stopping along the way at various point to photograph. The following day, we boarded our small boat at Resurrection Bay for our private cruise around Kenai Fjords National Park to Holgate Glacier and back; a delightful eight hours with Captain Tanya and First Mate Clay filled with great photo opportunities – whales, orcas, otters, puffins and, of course, the Holgate itself – one of Alaska’s smaller glaciers but still advancing and still awesome.

Two days later, we flew out of Anchorage over the Cook Inlet to the Lake Clark area staying at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge. The following three days were full of grizzly bear photography. We were just a day or two too early for spring cubs (maybe next year) but had plenty of company with yearlings and adolescent cubs along with their moms. A couple of boars were spotted as well. The crew at the Lodge was terrific attending to our every need. We were out shooting at all hours – before breakfast, after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner; it was daylight practically 24 hours and we took advantage of every shooting opportunity. The final afternoon, we boarded a couple of charter boats and made our way around Tuxedni and Chinitna Bays photographing birds including puffins, murres, oystercatchers, eagles and a huge kittiwake rookery.

Sadly, all had to come to an end but not before our farewell party at Simon and Seaforts in Anchorage where we raised a toast to the wonderful experience that is Alaska Land and Sea.